Exercise machine

ABSTRACT

An exercise machine having a stand to support a board containing tracks and angular tracks along which double wheel grips may be rolled. One end of the board is moveable up and down the stand to give different angles of slant, thus requiring different degrees of difficulty in performing the exercise. There are stops that may be placed on the tracks to require different degrees of difficulty in performing the exercises at the different angles of slant of the board.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,797,824 Osbourne Mar. 19, 1974 EXERCISE MACHINE 3,101.944 8/1963 Cencig 272/79 R 4 [75] Inventor: Glen R. Osbourne, Burlington, Iowa 3 130 968 H964 DeFeen 272/57 R X [73] Assignee: Burlington-Cornwall Industries FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Incorporated, Burlington, Iowa 1.447999 6/1966 France 272/8] [22] Filed: 1971 Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle [21] Appl. No.: 129,780 Assistant Examiner-Richard J. Apley Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wm. T. Metz [52] US. Cl. 272/57 J 51 Int. Cl A63b 23/02 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 272/57 R, 57 J, 58, 60, An exercise machine having a stand to Support a 272/79 80-84 72 board containing tracks and angular tracks along which double wheel grips may be rolled. One end of [56] References cued the board is moveable up and down the stand to give UNITED STATE PATENT different angles of slant, thus requiring different de- 2,733,922 2/1956 Diego 272/79 R X grees Of difficulty n Performing the exercise There 1.521.487 12/1924 Turner .4 272/57 R are stops that may be placed on the tracks to require 1. 84.165 l2/l93 T l hin 2 /7 R different degrees of difficulty in performing the exerl-993-4O9 3/1935 Leech t 273/57 R cises at the different angles of slant of the board. 1129.26" 9/1938 Cole i i t i 272/79 R X 2.783.045 2/1957 Bosch 272/79 R X 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAR l 9 I874 sum 2 0F 2 T l/VVE/VTOR GLEN R 088 OURNE EXERCISE MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to exercise machines and more particularly to an exercise machine designed to develop strength in the upper torso of the human body with emphasis on the shoulder, chest and adominal regions.

Background of the Invention 2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore exercise machines have not used the body weight to practice simulated weight training. The machines used heretofore have had weights attached thereto and have been used in such ways that the weights could slip and fall and be dangerous and no degree of safety was built into the machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The exercise machine herein described provides a means to develop exceptional strength in all of the upper torso which may be maintained without expensive, awkward or cumbersome equipment.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an exercise machine to develop strength, which strength is easily maintained without expensive, awkward or cumbersome equipment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an exercise machine which will develop exceptional strength in all of the upper torso with emphasis on the shoulder, chest and adominal region.

It is the further object of this invention to provide an exercise machine which will develop strength in the upper torso exceptionally fast.

It is the further object of this invention to provide an,

exercise machine which deelops strength safely in that no heavy weights or heavy equipment is involved.

It is the further object of this invention to provide an exercise machine wherein body weight is used in place of weight equipment to practice simulated weight training.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exercise machine inclined at an angle on a stand showing the tracks and the double wheel grips movable thereon.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the board on which the tracks are located.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exercise machine showing a person doing the exercise for strengthening the chest muscles.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exercise machine showing a person doing the exercise for strengthening the adominal muscles.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the exercise machine showing a person doing the exercise for strengthening the shoulder muscles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings the exercise machine has a stand 1 which holds a board 2. The board 2 has located thereon a pair of tracks 3 and a pair of tracks 4. Stops 5 may be placed on the tracks 3 and 4 by placing them in the holes 6 in the tracks 3 and 4. The stops 5 have pegs, unshown, which fit into the holes 6 to hold them in place. Double wheel grips 7 roll along either side of the tracks 3 and 4. The exercise machine is used at various angles of slant by placing a rod 8 in various holes 9 in the stand 1. The lower one end of the board 2 is placed on the stand 1, the more difficult the degree of the exercise. At each angle of slant of the board 2 it is also possible to increase or decrease the difficulty of the exercise by use of the stops 5.

FIG. 3 shows the exercise machine as used for the exercise to strengthen the chest muscles. The tracks 4 make an angle of approximately 55 degrees with the tracks 3. This angle has been determined to be the optimum angle for strengthening the chest muscles. Following is a description of the sequence of exercises to go through, using the exercise machine to strengthen the muscles. The stops 5 are placed in the 'holes 6 in tracks 4 nearest the center of the board 2 as shown in FIG. 2. The board 2 has a toe piece 10 upon which the person using the exercise machine places his feet. The board 2 is placed in its most upright position by placing the rod 8 in the uppermost holes 9 in the stand 1. Support pieces 12 are fastened to the bottom of the board 2. Notches 11 in the support pieces 12 fit over the rod 8. The person using the exercise machine then begins exercising by assuming a position with the double wheel grips 7 nearest the center of the board 2 on the tracks 4. The double wheel grips 7 are then moved outward until they reach the stops 5 and then back to the starting position. This exercise is repeated a number of times at intervals. The further towards the outer extremity of board 2 on tracks 4 the stops 5 are placed, the more difficult the exercise. When the person using the exercise machine is able to perform the exercise for strengthening the chest muscles with the board 2 in its most upright position as described with the stops 5 at the outer extremity of the tracks 4, he may then go on to the next degree of difficulty for this exercise. To obtain this degree of difficulty the board 2 is lowered to the next position by changing the rod 8 to the next lower holes 9 in the stand 1 and the same procedure is commenced over again using the innermost holes 6 in tracks 4 for the stops 5 for the exercise and as the strength is increased, moving to the outermost holes 6. The final degree of difficulty for this exercise is to have the board 2 in a horizontal position and have the stops 5 in the outermost holes 6 in the tracks 4. Eventually, after this final degree of difficulty of exercising with the exercising machine is reached, the person may then use the double wheel grips 7 on the floor without the use of the exercise machine.

As shown in'FIG. 4 the next exercise that can be performed on the exercise machine is the exercise for the strengthening adominal muscles which again is performed by starting with the board. 2 in its most upright position, having the rod 8 in the uppermost holes 9 in the stand 1. The notches 11 in the support pieces 12 fit over the rod 8 and the stops 5 are placed in the holes 6 nearest the center of the tracks 3. The person using the exercise machine starts with the double wheel grips 7 near the center of the tracks 3 and moves the double wheel grips 7 forward away from him and upward along the tracks 3. The stops 5 are moved progressively from the center to the upper extremity of the tracks 3 as the board 2 remains in the most upright position. When the person using the exercise machine is able to perform difficulty for this exercise. To obtain this degree of difficulty the rod 8 is then lowered to the next lower holes 9 in the stand 1 and the board 2 is at less of an incline with a horizontal position and the exercise is again done by putting the stops 5 in the holes 6 nearest the center of the tracks 3 and then moving upward and downward along the tracks 3 on the double wheel grips 7. The final degree of difficulty for this exercise is to have the board 2 placed in a horizontal position and start with the double wheel grips 7 near the center of the tracks 3 and be able to move them to the far extremity of the tracks 3 and back to the starting position. Progression toward this final degree of difficulty may be made as the strength of the person using the exercise machine increases. Eventually, when the person using the exercise machine can do this exercise in a horizontal position on the board 2, he may move from the board 2 and use the floor or any other horizontal surface to perform this exercise. It is to be noted in performing this exercise if the work load is-put on the feet an adominal-exercise is obtained, but if the hands and arms are mainly used another form of chest exercise is obtained.

The exercise as shown in FIG. 5 is a shoulder exercise and again the progression is from the most upright psition of the board 2 on the stand 1. This again is obtained by putting the rod 8 inthe uppermost holes 9 of the stand 1 and placing the notches 11 in the support pieces 12 over the rod 8. The person using the exercise machine starts with the double wheel grips 7 near the center of the tracks 3 and then moves the double wheel grips 7 toward him and downward along the tracks 3 as far as the stops permit. The stops 5 are placed progressively further down the tracks 3 until the person using the exercise machine is able to do the exercise with the board 2 in the most upright position and the stops 5 at the furthest extremity down the tracks 3. The board 2 is then moved to the next lower position by moving the rod 8 to the next lower holes 9 in the stand 1 and so on as described in the previous exercises. Upon being able to do this exercise in the most horizontal position of the board 2 and the outermost position of the stops 5, the person using the exercise machine may discontinue the exercise on the board 2 and do this exercise on the floor or other horizontal surface.

By use of the exercise machine it is possible, doing the exercise shown and described regarding FIG. 3, to

strengthen mainly one set of muscles, that being the chest muscles, by using the exercise machine doing the exercise described regarding FIG. 4 to strengthen mainly the adominal muscles and by using the exercise machine doing the exercise described regarding FIG. 5 to strengthen mainly the shoulder muscles. Thus, the

exercise machine is designed to strengthen different sets of muscles at the selection of the person using the machine. Of course, most people will want to use the exercise machine to strengthen all three sets of upper torso muscles, that is, the chest, adominal and shoulder muscles. In so doing the progression rate may be made similar for each exercise.

A further use of the exercise machine could be to use only one double wheel grip 7 on one of the tracks 3 on the board 2 and have the person using the exercise machine stand sieways to the board 2 in the most upright position. The exercise thus performed would be to move the one double wheel grip 7 up and down the track 3 being used, thus strengthening the said muscles.

The numbers placed by the holes 6 as shown in FIG. 2 are used to keep a record of the rate of progression.

Further exercises could be conceived to be performed with the exercise machine.

I claim:' I

1. An exercise machine comprised of a stand, a structure having a pair of parallel tracks and a pair of angular tracks located thereon, a pair of double wheel grips moveable along the pair of parallel tracks and along the pair of angular tracks, means coupling one end of the structure to the stand for vertical movement therealong to permit different degrees of difficulty for a person moving the double wheel grips along the parallel tracks and along the angular tracks, a toe grip located on the other end of the structure, the pair of parallel tracks located near the center of the structure and running from near the end of the structure coupled to the stand toward the toe grip, the pair of angular .tracks located one on each side of the pair of parallel tracks and running at an angle of approximately 55 degrees with the parallel tracks from near the center of the structure and the parallel tracks toward the end of the structure coupled to the stand.

2. The exercise machine of claim 1, a plurality of stops placed on the parallel tracks and the angular tracks to vary the distance the double wheel grips may be moved along the parallel tacks and the angular tracks, an adjustment means on the parallel tracks and the angular tracks for variably locating the stops. 

1. An exercise machine comprised of a stand, a structure having a pair of parallel tracks and a pair of angular tracks located thereon, a pair of double wheel grips moveable along the pair of parallel tracks and along the pair of angular tracks, means coupling one end of the structure to the stand for vertical movement therealong to permit different degrees of diffiCulty for a person moving the double wheel grips along the parallel tracks and along the angular tracks, a toe grip located on the other end of the structure, the pair of parallel tracks located near the center of the structure and running from near the end of the structure coupled to the stand toward the toe grip, the pair of angular tracks located one on each side of the pair of parallel tracks and running at an angle of approximately 55 degrees with the parallel tracks from near the center of the structure and the parallel tracks toward the end of the structure coupled to the stand.
 2. The exercise machine of claim 1, a plurality of stops placed on the parallel tracks and the angular tracks to vary the distance the double wheel grips may be moved along the parallel tacks and the angular tracks, an adjustment means on the parallel tracks and the angular tracks for variably locating the stops. 